Girls Basketball: Lincoln-Way Central takes down Joliet West

Updated: December 15, 2011 9:03PM

This was the type of game that first-year Lincoln-Way Central girls basketball coach Chris Fetherling wants to see.

“We’re trying to make them a tough defensive team that gets back all the time and challenges everything,” Fetherling said.

He saw that from his Knights on Thursday in a 51-44 SouthWest Suburban Conference victory at Joliet West.

It was a bounce-back game for Lincoln-Way Cebntral (6-4, 1-2), which didn’t hold a 14-point lead in a loss to Joliet Central two nights before.

“I’m very proud of them,” Fetherling said. “They got back in the gym and worked very hard. They’ve been working hard every day in practice to become a strong defensive team.”

The Knights, especially Kelsie Foster, got hot in the second period and stretched a three-point lead to as many as 11 after Foster scored her fourth basket of the quarter with 3:07 left.

Central had six players, including two reserves, score in the first period. The Knights clamped down with their switching, match-up defense and forced six turnovers in the second period and held Joliet to 28.6 percent shooting (6-for-21) in the first half.

Joliet West (1-6, 0-3) got back in the game by scoring eight of the last 10 points of the third period to cut its deficit to 36-30. Khadija Cooley, who finished with a game-high 17 points, scored six of the points, including a steal and layup to close the scoring.

Autumn Schultz scored the first four Lincoln-Way Central baskets of the fourth period and had a key blocked shot inside the lane when Joliet West was trying to cut the lead to four. Schultz led Central with 16 points, 12 in the second half, and Foster finished with 14.

It was another tough defeat for Joliet West, which had a pair of recent two-point losses.

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